Chapter 64

‘Oh, this son of a bitch came out here merely to taunt us,’ my wolf said with a snarl.

Yes. I was purely convinced that the only reason why someone like Cruz would go out of his way to come out to a random place like this was to either torment me or try and talk up more about the deal that he wanted with me and Lorenzo.

Well, regardless of the reason, the guy still made it a point to track me all the way out here. That notion in itself was what truly made me feel uncomfortable.

Why? Why was he, of people, trying to reach out to me?

I stopped myself from giving such a distasteful look toward the guy and opted for a different approach. Folding my arms over my chest, I kept my eyes leveled with his.

“Yes, it is an absolute tragedy what is happening to those girls,” I stated firmly. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about these sudden murder cases, would you?”

Cruz raised his brows at my forward, daring question. His expression was a mixture of pure surprise and amazement.

“Why, Miss Wright...Are you accusing me of something?” he asked teasingly.

I was repulsed by the playful tone in his voice.

“Not at all,” I noted. “Just merely asking for the sake of the case. “Just this morning, Lorenzo had asked the Royal Prince, himself, the exact same question.”

Cruz let out a long chuckle. “Oh, really? And just how did the prince respond?”

Thinking back to how strangely the prince behaved this morning, made me revisit my earlier feelings of suspicion.

“The poor guy looked like he was on the verge of passing out?” I confessed.

His smug smile remained firmly fixed on his face. “Really? Any idea as to why?”

I leaned back into my chair and shrugged my shoulders.

“Could have been from all the photos I had posted around the drawing room at the time,” I said casually. “Agatha Wilde’s body was not exactly in the most pristine shape when it was discovered.”

The corner of his right slightly twitched. “Photos?”

I nodded my head and continued to keep my voice cool and even. “Oh, yes. Agatha’s body, although affected by the outside elements, was still able to show previous traumas. Lorenzo and I have been spending a lot of time collecting the data and evidence we need in order to see this case through.”

For the first time since he’d sat down, Cruz appeared uneasy. Perhaps it was hearing words such as ‘data’ and ‘evidence’ that caused him to lose his composure.

‘He’s giving a lot more away than he realizes,’ my wolf said.

“But you know, a lot of that information was all found within the forensic report,” I told him lightly.

Something dark glimmered across Cruz’s eyes that it almost had me swelling with pride. Part of me deeply believed that Lorenzo would have been proud of the way I was handling this discussion.

“Why, my sweet little Eleanor...” My skin crawled in disgust. “Lorenzo certainly doesn’t give you enough credit. You’re truly a lot smarter than you lead on.”

Oh, God. I took everything in me not to roll my eyes and scoff.

“Why don’t you tell me why you’re really here?” I pushed.

His charming smile returned with a vengeance. “I think you and I have a lot more in common than we realize,” he said softly.

“I very much doubt that.”

“Think about it,” he explained. “Hasn’t the world treated you with constant contempt that it left you nearly broken from exhaustion? Always struggling to keep yourself afloat, barely making it by? Forced to suffer each day, never knowing if it’s ever going to end...You and I both know what it’s like to live in the shadows of life while everyone else gets to parade around like they’re somehow better.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and glared. “And just what the hell would you know about suffering?” I asked through gritted teeth. “Between the two of us, you’re the only one who was born with a silver spoon in their mouth.”

Cruz lowered his head. “I know what it’s like to live on the darker side of life while someone else persistently stands above you and receives all the praise for doing absolutely nothing.”

My brows drew together.

“Are you...Are you referring to your brother?”

Cruz pulled his gaze away to stare out the window beside us. A low, irritable growl rumbled from his chest. “My dark Luna,” he said venomously. “You’re not the only one whose hatred and displeasure extends to the Blue Moon Alpha.”

[Lorenzo’s POV]

Lorenzo wasn’t entirely sure where he and Eleanor stood on things after what happened last night. He knew she’d gone out to meet with her friend Adeline earlier that morning, but hours had gone by and there was still no sign of her.

He tried to lose himself in his own personal work but his mind constantly wandered back to his Luna. Somewhere around noon, he sent her a quick text, asking her if she was alright and when she was planning to come back.

Since their night had been unexpectedly interrupted, Lorenzo was hoping to possibly reproach the topic of the mating ceremony.

As time ticked by Lorenzo grew anxious. His wolf would continuously whine and stir with agitation until he couldn’t take it any longer.

He abandoned whatever work he had out on his desk and left his personal office. Suddenly, he heard someone coming through the front doors. He snapped his head around and felt a wave of relief wash away his worry when he saw Eleanor.

She looked exhausted and a little worn.

“How was meeting with Adeline?” he asked.

Before he could get a response, Lorenzo was smacked by a strange, unwelcoming scent that surrounded Eleanor like a thick cloud. He knew exactly who it belonged to and made me growl in outrage.

“Why the hell do you smell like that?” he snarled.